Promise Boys by Nick Brooks

e-Audio, 06:30:15
Narrated by: Alfred Vines, Anthony Lopez, Brad Sanders, Christopher Hampton, Eliana Marianes, Hannah Church, Henriette Zoutomou, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Maria Liatis, Renier Cortes, Suehyla El-Attar, & Xenia Willacey
Release Date: January 31, 2023
Published by: Macmillan Audio
Read from: January 28-30, 2023
Stand-alone
Source: Libro FM (I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher and Libro FM in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Murder, Gun Violence
For fans of: Mystery, YA, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Multiple POV, Contemporary, Epistolary 

   The prestigious Urban Promise Prep school might look pristine on the outside, but deadly secrets lurk within. When the principal ends up murdered on school premises and the cops come sniffing around, a trio of students—J.B., Ramón, and Trey—emerge as the prime suspects. They had the means, they had the motive—and they may have had the murder weapon. But with all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. Or is the true culprit hiding among them?
     Find out who killed Principal Moore in Nick Brooks’s murder mystery, Promise Boys—The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying.

*MY THOUGHTS*

Let me just say the only reason this didn’t get rated higher for me was because it was pitched to me as a thriller. I went in expecting that when it was merely just a mystery. And while that was fine, it’s not the same thing? Did I explain that right? I hope so.

Now the writing style is amazing. I was so invested in this book. I loved how it’s told in epistolary form. This made it good for reading with both my eyes and my ears. I found out that they were also like images in the book. Granted I didn’t know it was that way until I got in my pre-order since I listened to an early e-audio copy. But even with me reading via my ears, this was a full cast audio and I loved everything about it. Everyone had their own sound and personality. I loved it.

The plot itself was cool tho. I just wished it was pitched as just a mystery. I didn’t see really anything thrillery when I saw it and it was just weird that people would think that way. Just because it’s a mystery doesn’t mean it’s a thriller. Now with that being said, I don’t think it took anything away really, but one of the things that made he hella excited about this was one of the other books they compared it to. And that ALWAYS blows up in my face. But for the most part, the rest of the plot was cool because of all the years I’ve been reading, I don’t think I’ve ever read one where they killed their principal before lol

I DID like the way the social justice aspect of this was handled tho. There was focus on being Black and Brown and the ease at which some of these things happen to them. Like being blamed. I hated that they had to go through that, but the way they figured everything out was a boss move. And the way everything came out was also cool.

Overall, I give this

This book is short and moves fast and is a real delight. Brooks literally sucked me into this story and wouldn’t let me go. I really hope y’all pick this book up. I was weary about it, but overall, it was still a good story that felt original and really fun.